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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: MIX (10/22/15)
Many times I have heard people say: I have prayed about this matter and I am hoping that God will make it happen." Often the verse from Proverbs 16:3 will be quoted: "Roll your works upon God, and your thoughts shall be established." [MKJV] I have even said it. I have prayed about something and the very act of praying made me feel that God should respond since I did my part and prayed about it. Oftentimes Christians use the phrase "I prayed about it" they actually are using a euphemism meaning "We did our part so now God you do yours." So what does it mean to 'commit' my activities to the Lord? The Hebrew word implies a rolling together of my activities with God's. Wait a minute. God is sovereign over everything. The Bible makes that very clear. Rolling my plans into His means His plans become mine. What if my plans seem better or more expedient or less painful? As long as I have those doubts about the wisdom of God, then I will never be able to transfer a burden off of my back. I will never stick my head into the yoke that Jesus offers to share with me.

It is one thing to have ambition. It is another to have what I would call a holy aspiration; being ambitious for God's will to be done here on earth. If I commit or roll my plans onto the Lord, my ambitions take a back seat. "What about the results you might ask?" God is less interested in my results than in my establishment as a Christ-one. My actions are only the results of my thoughts. Is my mind settled on doing my plans or making my plans in line with His? As I learn patience and wait for Him to act, He will establish my thoughts that are in line with His plans. It is like bowling. I pick up the bowling ball and I roll it toward the mark, the pin that is going to have the most effect on the others. The pin I am aiming at is Jesus Himself. I want to roll my works toward Him so that he can aim my thoughts that will affect my endeavors.

I discovered something the other day while I made a stew for my wife and I. Putting all of the ingredients together I thought about adding another that I thought might add some spice. But I was not sure. So I sent her a text message asking her what that spice would do to the flavor. She liked the idea and the stew turned out well. I thought to myself after dinner that my thought of mixing in another spice seemed like a good idea. I was running behind schedule but I checked with the 'chef' and it was a success. How much that is like our lives in Christ. We get some ideas that we want to mix into our plans. We are in a hurry to take action. Will we trust God enough to ask and then wait to see if our thoughts [plans] are going to mix with His intentions? Lay open thy works to the Lord: and thy thoughts shall be directed. [DRB]
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This article has been read 432 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Donna Powers
10/29/15
A very nice way to explain and illustrate the concept of casting our cares on Him. I enjoyed the illustration in the final paragraph
Larry Whittington
10/30/15
I think what you said was: "if it is God's will, he will do it in his time".

We should always be concerned about whether our thought or plans are what God is concerned about.

You pointed this out well in your article.
Pat Small
10/30/15
You had some good thoughts here. I felt like the paragraphs were long and wordy.
Chris Goglin
11/02/15
Thank you for your submission!

I particularly liked the symbolism of the bowling ball aiming for just the right "mix" of pins to successfully create a strike. We all long to please God in just the right way to receive His blessing.

Some of your wording was repetitive, as in "I thought to myself after dinner that my thought of mixing..." but you did a nice job of rolling several ideas together to teach all of us how to communicate more efficiently with God. Great job!
Maretha Retief
11/05/15
Thank you for your article. I enjoyed the symbolism you used and how you waited until the last paragraph to bring in the topic in a good way.

By mixing the extra ingredient could sometimes make or break a situation and the importance of confirming with Christ is often overlooked.

I would maybe have shortened some of the sentences, but still, well done!